In recent years, the word "negative ion" has become more and more familiar. It is often seen in various advertisements, stores and televisions. Now there are more and more household appliances, such as refrigerators, air conditioners, air purifiers, and even hair dryers. They are all equipped with "negative ion" technology, claiming to be effective in sterilization, purification and health protection. What is the negative ion? Is it really as good as advertised? Today, the author will uncover the truth of "negative ion sterilization and purification.

Can it really sterilize and purify? The editor takes you to understand the truth of "negative ions"

So what exactly is a "negative ion"? Simply put: a negatively charged particle formed after an atom acquires an electron. As we all know, matter is composed of molecules, molecules are composed of atoms, atoms are composed of negatively charged extranuclear electrons and positively charged nuclei, and nuclei are composed of positively charged protons and uncharged neutrons. A single atom has the same number of positive and negative charges, so it does not show electrical properties. If electrons are obtained due to external causes, they become negative ions, macroscopically speaking, the whole object will be negatively charged.

Diagram of the Internal Composition of Atoms

There is a small experiment that can simply illustrate this problem, that is, frictional electrification. When the fur is rubbed with the rubber rod, because the rubber rod is easier to get electrons than the fur, some electrons are transferred from the fur to the rubber rod. The fur is positively charged due to lack of electrons, and the rubber rod is negatively charged due to excess electrons. Since the charged body has the property of attracting light and small objects, the negatively charged rubber rod can easily absorb small paper scraps.

Frictional charged body can attract small objects

In the natural state, air molecules are uncharged and neutral; but under the action of cosmic rays, ultraviolet rays, trace element radiation, lightning and other external factors, the air is ionized, and the molecules lose some of the outermost electrons that rotate around the nucleus. Become free electrons, and when free electrons combine with neutral molecules in the air, they form negatively charged negative ions.

Cartoon illustration: atoms get electrons to form negative ions

Negative ions are generally produced in the following ways: cosmic rays, ultraviolet rays, thunder and lightning and other natural phenomena, which have just been mentioned above; Then there is the impact of waterfalls, where water collides violently under the action of gravity, and a large number of water molecules are cracked to produce negative ions. There are also negative ions produced by the discharge at the tips of plant branches and leaves and the photoelectric effect formed by photosynthesis of green plants, which ionizes the air. That is to say, there will be a large number of negative ions in waterfalls and plants.

There are a lot of negative ions around the waterfall

Now, with the development of science and technology and technological progress, people have long been not limited to relying on natural factors to obtain negative ions, but also can generate negative ions indoors through electrical equipment. One method is to use high-voltage electricity to ionize air to produce negative ions. Another method is to use natural minerals, such as tourmaline, which can release negative ions through processing and changing temperature and pressure.

● Sterilization and purification mechanism of negative ions

Through the above, we understand the definition of "negative ion" and the principle of production. Next, we will take a look at how it is sterilized and purified. First of all, we should be clear that sterilization and purification are two different concepts: sterilization, that is, through some measures to prevent the growth and reproduction of bacteria, and eventually to its death; purification, refers to the removal of unwanted impurities, so that goods or space to achieve clean, such as air purification.

Sterilization and purification efficacy of negative ions

1. Sterilization mechanism

Negative ions in the air (negative oxygen ions) are in contact with bacteria, molds, viruses, etc., because the negative ions themselves carry excess electrons, they will destroy their molecular protein structure, causing structural changes (protein polarity reversal) or energy transfer, So that bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms die. However, an appropriate concentration of negative ions is not only harmless to the human body, but also beneficial to human health (this is described in detail below), so "negative ion sterilization" is a more environmentally friendly sterilization method than ozone or ultraviolet sterilization.

Stericidal mechanism of negative ions

2. Purification mechanism

Negative ions, as a kind of charged particles, its purification principle is to use the charged body to attract light and small objects. This is more common in life, such as fur friction rubber rod can absorb small paper scraps, or, with a plastic comb hair will absorb hair and so on.

Combing your hair with a plastic comb often sucks the hair

The principle of air purification is that negative air ions can make the particles invisible to the naked eye (particle size as small as 0.01 microns) and floating dust and odor molecules in the air attract, collide, and neutralize each other between positive and negative ions to form neutral The molecular group sinks to the ground to achieve the effects of dust reduction, deodorization and purification. Experiments have confirmed that when the concentration of negative ions in indoor air reaches 20000 per cubic centimeter, the amount of particulate dust in the air is reduced by more than 98%. Here we should pay attention to is that the negative ions on the dust particles in the air only condensation downsizing effect, and did not remove it from the root.

Purification mechanism of negative ions

In addition, negative ions can also play a certain role in removing indoor decoration pollution. Because negative ions have the characteristics of small particle size and high activity, they can quickly diffuse to every corner of the room by using the diffusivity of the gas, and actively combine with pollutants in the air, such as formaldehyde, toluene, TVOC and other decoration pollutants. Reaction, decompose it into non-toxic carbon dioxide and water, to a certain extent, can alleviate the decoration pollution residue. To a certain extent, it is because the release of volatile pollutants such as formaldehyde is a slow process, which lasts for many years, and will continue to be produced along with the removal. Therefore, the newly decorated house must be supplemented by frequent window ventilation to accelerate the volatilization of formaldehyde.

Negative ions also have a certain role in the removal of indoor decoration pollution

The author's words: to sum up, theoretically speaking, negative ions do have certain sterilization and purification effects, and their sterilization methods are more environmentally friendly and safer for human body. Its purification effect is also remarkable, reaching the "molecular level" purification method, which has better removal effect on TVOC, such as decomposing formaldehyde and benzene into carbon dioxide and water, which is safe and environmentally friendly. However, it should be noted that, negative ions for the "removal" of fine particles, but its sinking, falling on the surface of the object or the ground, and not completely removed.

Negative ions have a certain health care effect

Since there are "negative ions", of course there are "positive ions". As mentioned above, if an atom gets an electron, it will show negative electricity and become a "negative ion". On the contrary, an atom that loses an electron will show positive electricity. Sex, that is, become a "positive ion". There are both positive ions and negative ions in nature, so why do you rarely hear about the propaganda of positive ions?

Computer radiation produces positive ions to aggravate fatigue

To explain this problem, we must first talk about our body. The normal adult body is composed of about 40 trillion -60 trillion cells. The normal vital signs of the human body depend on the stability of the cell level. Each cell is wrapped by the cell membrane, which absorbs nutrients and discharges waste through the membrane. There are many negative ions on the inside of the cell membrane, and there are many positive ions on the outside. When the positive and negative ions are balanced, the internal cells can function normally.

Normal vital signs of the human body depend on stability at the cellular level.

Once the cells are too many positive ions, it will affect the absorption of nutrients and aging cells and waste discharge, the physiological function of the cell itself will decline. Modern ion medicine research shows that positive ions will make the organism produce strong oxidizing reactive oxygen species, and it will also lead to acidification of the organism. Therefore, when the positive ions entering the body increase, it is easy to cause physical discomfort, cause fatigue, and cause vasoconstriction and blood pressure. Rising, blood circulation is not smooth, increasing breathing and pulse rates, etc., have many adverse effects. Why do negative ions have health effects? This is because negative ions can neutralize positive ions that are harmful to the human body, thereby ensuring the normal physiological functions of organisms. Therefore, appropriate concentrations of negative ions are beneficial to health.

Negative ion? Negative oxygen ion?

Negative air ions are also called negative oxygen ions. This is because the main components of air are nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor, of which nitrogen accounts for 78%, oxygen for 21%, and carbon dioxide for 0.03. Nitrogen has no affinity for electrons, only oxygen and carbon dioxide have affinity for electrons, but the oxygen content is much more than that of carbon dioxide. Therefore, most of the negative ions generated in the air are negative oxygen ions, that is to say, what we generally call "negative ions" is actually "negative oxygen ions". Negative oxygen ions are also known as "air vitamins". The World Health Organization stipulates that when the number of negative oxygen ions in the air reaches more than 1000 per cubic centimeter, the standard of "fresh air" is reached.

Negative oxygen ions are good for health

Negative oxygen ions are very beneficial to improve heart function, lower blood pressure, and restore the health of patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. It can improve the vitality of human body and improve endocrine function. It can also improve allergic constitution, enhance immunity, adjust autonomic nerve, prevent free radical oxidation, eliminate reactive oxygen species, activate cells, enhance cell function, and enhance body resistance. In addition, negative ions can also increase the content of calcium ions in the blood, neutralize acidic substances, improve the production of antibodies by B lymphocytes, and shorten the course of the disease to a certain extent.

Large differences in the concentration of negative oxygen ions in different regions

Everyone may also feel this aspect. For example, when we are near waterfalls, in forests, in suburban fields, after thunder, lightning and rain, etc., we usually feel that the air is extremely fresh, the mind is fresh, and the breathing is smooth. This is because the air contains a lot of negative ions. When staying in closed air-conditioned rooms, heating rooms or downtown, industrial areas and some crowded places for a long time, will feel chest tightness, dizziness, fatigue, poor breathing and other adverse symptoms, because the concentration of negative ions in these places is low.

Places with more negative ions feel fresh and comfortable breathing.

The author's words: Everyone should pay attention here. The role of negative ions is to improve, or prevent, and can play a certain auxiliary role in the treatment of certain specific diseases, but it does not have the effect of completely curing the disease alone. It will not be as magical as some advertisements that can "cure all diseases. Therefore, once you are sick and unwell, you should first go to a regular hospital for medical treatment, and do not blindly believe in the efficacy of "negative ions.

●Home appliances with negative ion technology

Next, the author will collect some home appliances equipped with "negative ion" technology on the market, and give you a brief introduction. Although the technical names carried by various manufacturers are different, in essence, they all belong to the category of "negative ions. Divided by product type, it can be roughly divided into two categories-refrigerators and air purifiers.

◆ Net ion group space purification technology (refrigerator)

The net ion group space purification technology generates and releases the same positive and negative ions as the nature through plasma discharge, which can effectively inhibit viruses, decompose and remove bacteria and molds floating in the internal space. After closing the door of the refrigerator compartment, the generator releases the net ion group in a concentrated manner to ensure that the internal space of the refrigerator is fresh and clean.

Clean ion group space purification technology

◆ DBD purification and fresh technology (refrigerator)

Corona discharge technology is used to ionize and decompose large water molecular clusters in the air into smaller water molecular cluster ions, making fruits and vegetables easier to absorb, thus realizing the moisturizing function. At the same time, it can also ionize and decompose air molecules into positive and negative ions, inactivate the floating bacteria in the air and the bacteria attached to the food surface, and realize the sterilization function. In terms of purification, DBD dielectric barrier discharge technology is used to generate cold plasma, it can oxidize and decompose the odor gas molecules in the refrigerator into carbon dioxide, water or other non-polluting small molecules, so as to realize the lasting preservation and cleanliness of the internal space of the refrigerator.

DBD purification and fresh technology

◆ Ultra-clean 3 ion group (air purifier)

Built-in plasma generating device, the use of ceramic electrodes, produce a large number of active hydrogen, oxygen ions (in fact, is also positive and negative ions), the bacteria, viruses surrounded, destroy the surface of the protein structure, combined with hydrogen ions, generating harmless water to the human body, build a healthy and clean indoor space environment.

Ultra-clean 3 ion group sterilization purification technology

◆ Nano water ion (air purifier)

By applying high pressure to ionize water molecules to produce charged water ions, combined with organic carbon components of PM2.5, such as alkanes, benzoic acid and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, it can be decomposed, but also inhibit bacteria, mold activity, eliminate indoor odor, to ensure the clean and hygienic indoor environment.

Sterilization and purification technology of nano water ion

◆ Negative ion electric hair dryer

The hair dried by ordinary hair dryer is easy to generate static electricity, and it will also cause the end split or the hair phosphate on the surface to fall off, resulting in damage to the hair quality. The negative ion hair dryer uses corona discharge to generate negative ions (negative ions formed by combining oxygen molecules in the air with tiny water molecules) in the center of the air outlet. The negative ions can neutralize the static electricity on the hair, thus making the hair more flexible, while drying the hair, it also allows water molecules to penetrate into the hair to produce a moisturizing effect.

Negative ion hair dryer has a certain hair care effect

● Negative ion generator

The negative ion generator is a household product that can purify the air, but it is one-sided to purify the air simply by the negative ions emitted by the generator. This is because the negative ions in the air are easily combined with the suspended dust in the air and become pollution particles with a certain polarity, namely "heavy ions". However, the heavy ions may still be adsorbed on indoor furniture, TV screens, walls, etc. during the landing process, people fly into the air again when they move. In fact, the negative ion generator only sinks the polluting particles and cannot completely remove the air pollutants.

Negative ion generator ionizes air to produce negative oxygen ions

Although the air purifier also has the function of releasing negative ions, it mainly relies on the internal pre-filter screen and HEPA filter screen to purify the air, and releases negative ions after this step of purification process is completed, thus ensuring that the negative ions released in a clean environment have no combined dust, so as to normally play the health care effect of negative ions on human body. Therefore, the negative ion generator is essentially different from the air purifier.

Operation diagram of air purifier equipped with negative ion technology

Written at the end:

Negative ion is actually a well-developed technology. It was discovered more than a hundred years ago, was artificially generated a few decades ago, and now it is widely used in various home appliances. The history of negative ion technology industry is not short. On a global scale, negative ion dust removal technology has been widely used in professional dust removal and public places such as precision laboratories, hospitals, restaurants, etc., and its medical and health care effects have also been applied to various convalescent institutions.

Look at negative ion technology to be rational

Finally, what the author wants to say is that negative ions do have good health care effects and certain bactericidal effects. The performance of dust reduction, deodorization and purification is also good. However, we should also look at this technology rationally. With the development of negative ion technology, it is no longer a "profound" black technology, so we should not be blinded by the exaggeration of manufacturers, don't believe in the magical effect of negative ions to "cure all diseases". Choose home appliances equipped with negative ion technology. Of course, you should make a reasonable purchase according to your own needs.